Historic Diamonds / Royal Stories
A Guide to Queen Elizabeth II’s Illustrious Collection of Diamond Jewelry
For nearly seven decades on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II reigned not only over a nation but also over one of the most dazzling jewelry collections the world has ever seen.
Published: September 12, 2025
Written by: Hannah Militano
As the longest-reigning British monarch in history, Queen Elizabeth II had one of the most impressive diamond jewelry collections in the world. From From storied natural diamond tiaras steeped in history to brooches, bracelets, and beyond,, the royal family’s assortment of jewels remains unmatched.
It’s no surprise that the royal vaults overflow with treasures fit for a queen. While Queen Elizabeth inherited diamond jewels from Queen Victoria, Queen Alexandra, and her grandmother, Queen Mary, she also commissioned pieces of her own, adding to the family’s glittering legacy of heirlooms.
Meet the Author
- Hannah Militano covers diamond jewelry trends, the fashion industry, pop culture, and celebrity news.
- She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
- As a journalist, her work has been featured in publications such as Editorialist, Carine Roitfeld’s CR Fashion Book, L’Officiel USA, Grazia USA, Coveteur, and more.
Here, Only Natural Diamonds takes a look back at Queen Elizabeth’s impressive collection of natural diamond jewelry.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Engagement Ring
About five years before she ascended the throne to become the longest-reigning British monarch in history, Queen Elizabeth II announced her engagement to Prince Philip in 1947, when she was still just a princess. The pair posed outside of Buckingham Palace to share the news, showing off her new engagement ring with a three-carat Old European cut round diamond center stone, accompanied by smaller diamonds on either side.
When Prince Philip sought to propose to Queen Elizabeth II, he got creative in sourcing the diamonds for her engagement ring. His mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, generously offered her diamond and aquamarine tiara to provide the raw materials. Alice’s uncle and aunt, Tsar Nicholas and Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia, gave her the tiara as a wedding gift in 1903 when she married Andrew of Greece. Philip took the tiara to the prestigious Bond Street jeweler Philip Antrobus Ltd. to make Elizabeth II’s diamond engagement ring.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Edinburgh Wedding Bracelet
When Philip took his mother’s tiara to Philip Antrobus Ltd. to make Elizabeth II’s diamond engagement ring, the remaining stones were used to create the Edinburgh Wedding Bracelet, which he gifted her as a wedding present.
The Queen wore the bracelet on her wedding day in 1947 and on several royal engagements throughout her reign. These days, the jewel has been seen on the wrist of Catherine, Princess of Wales, who wore it to the 2017 BAFTA Awards. The historic heirloom is a meaningful addition to her royal jewelry collection.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Wedding Day Tiara: Queen Mary’s Fringe
Queen Mary’s diamond Fringe Tiara has seen many royal weddings in its lifetime. Most notably, Queen Elizabeth II chose the headpiece for her nuptials to Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey in London on November 20, 1947. Queen Mary passed down the tiara to Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, in 1937, who then lent the jewel to her daughter for her wedding day.
The tiara is mounted on a specific frame that allows the tiara to be transformed into a necklace, which leads us to one of the tiara’s most notorious tales. The piece famously almost caused the then-Princess Elizabeth to be late to her own wedding. As she was getting ready with her dresser at Buckingham Palace, part of the wedding tiara snapped off. The court jeweler rushed to Garrard with the tiara in tow, escorted by police to ensure it was repaired in time.
In 2011, Queen Elizabeth II recalled the story to Kate Middleton when they toured a Buckingham Palace exhibition. “The catch, which I didn’t know existed, it suddenly went [gesturing her breaking the tiara with her hands].”
Queen Elizabeth’s daughter, Princess Anne, kept tradition alive when she wore the same tiara to marry Mark Phillips in 1973. Another generation would keep the tradition alive for her wedding day when Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, wore Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara for her 2020 wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. She paired the over 100-year-old headpiece with the Norman Hartnell gown Queen Elizabeth wore for the April 1966 opening of Parliament.
The Fringe Tiara features 47 pointed bars of brilliant-cut and rose-cut diamonds, alternating with smaller prongs of lozenge-set diamonds. Similar in style to Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara, Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara is slightly smaller—and therefore more manageable to wear. Originally called the Collingwood Fringe Tiara, it was a wedding gift from Queen Victoria, the grandmother of Mary’s future husband.
Garrard, the official crown jeweler at the time, recently rediscovered two of their handwritten royal ledgers. On November 3, 1919, the ledger recounted the notes, “Mounting 633 brilliants and 271 rose diamonds from your Majesty’s own tiara, bracelet, and monogram in gold and silver settings in a Russian pattern tiara with adjustable head frame, allowing for old settings.”
Queen Elizabeth II’s Cullinan V Brooch
As one of Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite pieces of jewelry, the monarch wore her 18.8-carat diamond Cullinan V hear-shaped brooch on countless occasions, including Prince Philip’s 99th birthday portrait and Princess Eugenie’s wedding.
It originated as the largest gem ever mined when the 3,106.75-carat rough Cullinan diamond was discovered in South Africa in 1905. It was named after the mine’s owner, Sir Thomas Cullinan. As with many of the great treasures uncovered on the African continent during colonial rule, the diamond was purchased by the Transvaal government and given to King Edward VII. Once the colossal stone arrived in England, King Edward VII appointed Joseph Asscher in Amsterdam to cleave it.
From the singular Cullinan, Asscher cut nine large flawless diamonds, all of which are part of the Crown Jewels. The largest (dubbed the Star of Arica Diamond) sits within the the royal scepter while the second, the Cullinan II, sits in the Imperial State Crown.
The Cullinan V was fashioned into the stomacher of Queen Mary’s Delhi Durbar parure in 1911. Once stomachers fell out of fashion, Queen Mary had it redesigned as a Edwardian style brooch and later gave it to Queen Elizabeth in 1953.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Beloved Granny’s Chips Brooch
Made with two diamonds cut from the legendary Cullinan diamond, Granny’s Chips is one of the most recognizable diamond brooches in the world. Queen Mary handed down the spectacular diamond jewelry heirloom to her granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II.
Featuring the Cullinan III and Cullinan IV diamonds, they weigh 94.4 and 63.6 carats, respectively, for a total of 158 carats. The diamonds were officially named the Lesser Stars of Africa, and made up one of Queen Elizabeth’s most beloved and sentimental brooches.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
Queen Mary’s Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara was named after the women’s clubs across the British Empire, who fundraised to purchase the headpiece as a wedding gift to Queen Elizabeth’s grandmother, Queen Mary, in 1893. Originally, it was topped with pearls and designed to be transformable. The pearls were later replaced with more diamonds. Affectionately referred to as “Granny’s tiara,” Queen Mary gifted the diadem to Elizabeth as a wedding present in 1947.
It is thought to be one of Queen Elizabeth’s favorite jewels and among the most memorable of all the royal tiaras made by Garrard. The piece has been seen on the Queen’s head in official portraits featured on stamps, and even on currency.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Japanese Pearl and Diamond Choker Necklace
Queen Elizabeth II commissioned Garrard to create a pearl and diamond choker necklace in 1980. The Queen provided the freshwater pearls from her collection, given to her by the Japanese government during a state visit in 1975. Said to be one of the Queen’s favorite pieces, the necklace features four strands of pearls, united by a curved diamond pendant clasp.
The Queen wore the piece several times throughout her reign and even loaned the choker to Princess Diana to wear to a banquet at Hampton Court Palace in 1983. Kate Middleton borrowed the choker for the first time in 2017, for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s 70th wedding anniversary. Years later, the Princess of Wales chose to wear the necklace again for Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021, and then for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. The royal has worn the prized piece on several occasions since.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Festoon Necklace
Queen Elizabeth II often wore the triple-strand diamond Festoon Necklace. Elizabeth’s father, King George VI commissioned Garrard to create the jewel for his daughter in 1950. The Festoon necklace features 105 diamond collets, which were previously given to the King as heirlooms of the Crown. Kate Middleton recently wore the antique jewel for an official portrait to mark the coronation of King Charles III in May 2023.
